Stuff to Do Offline to Recharge

by Carley Cooper

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Here are some ideas for things you can do to keep yourself occupied while regaining your strength from a high-stress period.

1. Drop water balloons from my sixth floor apartment on to people walking below.
2. Pluck feathers from Chicklet (my love bird) to add to the pile I have.  When I get enough I will make an art project.
3. Pluck needles off my Asparagus Fern, listening closely for little screams of pain.
4. Go to the library and switch around book jackets on the books.
5. Go to a friend’s place; while I’m there go to the bathroom and mix bleach into their shampoo bottles.
6. Go to the SPCA, to volunteer to walk dogs; while I’m there mix a little vodka into Fido’s water bowl / bottle.
7. Go to a restaurant and Crazy-glue all the salt and pepper shakers to the tables.
8. Go to my brother’s  house and put a drop of Crazy-glue on each key on his laptop.
9. Go to my cousin’s house, and mix catnip into the current can of opened cat food in the refrigerator.
10. Go to Pastor Henry’s house and sneak into his garage (AKA: his version of Heaven on Earth), and Crazy-glue all of his tools together in his tool box  (Just kidding, H; your tools are safe...today! Hehehe) 

OK, that was fun, but seriously... here are some things that I really do when I need recharging, when the world seems heavy, and I need a new perspective.  The best way to regain your strength is to have some alone time where you can collect your thoughts together and organize them without interference from loved ones, friends, pets, cell phones, Facebook, emails, or work.

1. Writing (Books, Blogs, Journals)
2. Listen to music (Worship music, in particular)
3. Read (For me, reading takes me into a whole new world with different people, problems, and adventures; a world where I am not judged, criticized, or rejected.)
4. Positive Affirmations (PA) - I have a stack of index cards with PAs written on them.  I also have a huge batch of JPG files (photos with PAs written on them).  I've put them on my Blackberry, so I have them to quickly flip through anytime I need them.
5. Housework (I know, that doesn’t sound like downtime; but often working out hard, physically, helps me to recharge mentally and emotionally), or walking (including Power Walking workouts)
6. Go to a movie with a friend
7. Play with my pets 
8. A hot bubble bath with a good book, or some soft music in the background
9. Time away some place, or sit quietly in a room with just a candle or two lit; maybe a glass of wine
10. Quiet time with God; Pray, Read the Bible, Devotionals

What do you do in your downtime to recharge?  Please share your ideas with everyone in the comment section below.

Now it’s Your Turn!

Thoughts?  Questions?  Want to share your story?  Ask for prayer? Please share in the comments section.

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